15 March 2016

Suomi

There is something serenely majestic about the sim Suomi, and it's apparent from the moment one arrives that it's a special place. Designed by Shen Molinaro, the region includes mythological and cultural information from Sighvatr Sturluson (Worthaboutapig resident, also the sim owner) — the two having collaborated on the sim's concept — with additional contributions from Sati (Satyamalaak), Skaði Sturluson (Edenjane765), and Èirã Sturlson (Dahlia Endsleigh).

Suomi is simply the Finnish name for what English-speaking people commonly call Finland, and it's in that nation's northernmost stretch that one can often observe the northern lights, or aurora borealis. On the sim of Suomi, the ghostly lights gently move and swirl through the night sky, providing a dazzling show that just barely illuminates the snow and ice in the deeply forested land below. Frozen rivers (careful — you can actually fall through the ice in spots!) wind their way through the land.

The sim is more than just for looks, though — as visitors crunch their way through the snow, they will discover extensive information about Finnish culture and mythology, ranging from the Sámi people to cosmology, cults, gods, spells, Kalevala (Finnish epic writing), and Sampo, a mysterious artifact. Various objects and figures through the sim, such as the half-woman half-reindeer character shown immediately above, dispense information through their shaman drums. They're often well hidden in the forest, even when nearby, so explorers are encouraged to make use of a map provided at the landing point.

Travelers will find plenty of places to warm themselves from the cold, including a sauna, and there's an opportunity for some fun sledding on the frozen waterways. The sim's default environmental setting is Annan Adored Light Explosion (shown in the first four images), but Shen actually prefers (SS) Atmospheric 06:00 6b, which is shown below, providing a soft morning glow — but one generally loses the effect of the aurora borealis and the dark mystery of the woods with this brighter light. This is a place not to be missed, and one that may require multiple visits to fully appreciate.